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Sorry, Texas: Here’s why you can’t use Google’s art selfie feature

Sorry, Texas: Here’s why you can’t use Google’s art selfie feature

Google’s new Arts & Culture App has been insanely popular over the last week -- and no, it’s not because people are wanting to brush up on their art history skills (though it’s good for that, too). It’s because there’s a hilarious feature where you can upload a photo of yourself and the app will match your face with a work of art that resembles you.

According to the Chicago Tribune, it’s because of the states’ biometric privacy laws, which limits companies who obtain “biometric identifiers” (like a “retina or iris scan, fingerprint, voiceprint or record of hand or face geometry,” according to the law) for commercial purposes. Anyone violating the Texas law passed in 2009 could be subject to a penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation.